Sprout HR alternative

The payroll system built for your size, not theirs.

An affordable Sprout HR alternative for Philippine small businesses. PHP 999/month flat for payroll, attendance, and government compliance. Free 30-day trial, no credit card.

No credit card required. Setup in 5 minutes. Cancel anytime.

Why small businesses choose Timekeep over Sprout HR

Sprout HR is built for dedicated HR departments at larger companies. Timekeep is built for the business owner who handles payroll themselves, with a simpler product and a price that fits a small business budget.

PHP 999

per month, up to 10 employees

Sprout HR does not publish public pricing. You request a custom quote, typically billed per employee.

5 minutes

to run your first payroll

No onboarding calls, no multi-week implementation. Sign up, add your employees, and start tracking attendance the same day.

No hardware

needed for kiosk clock-ins

Turn any tablet into a shared clock-in station with face verification. No fingerprint scanner required.

Timekeep vs Sprout HR: feature comparison

An honest, side-by-side comparison. Sprout HR is a capable enterprise product. Timekeep is the right fit if you are a small business owner who needs payroll and attendance without the enterprise HR overhead.

Starting price

TimekeepPHP 999/month
Sprout HR

Custom quote, pricing not publicly listed

Pricing model

TimekeepFlat rate for up to 10 employees, PHP 49/seat after
Sprout HR

Per-employee pricing, sales call required

Free trial

Timekeep30 days, no credit card required
Sprout HR

Demo or trial available on request

Target business size

TimekeepSmall businesses, from a handful to hundreds
Sprout HR

Mid-size and large enterprises

Setup complexity

TimekeepSelf-serve, 5 minutes to first payroll
Sprout HR

Onboarding assistance, multi-week setup

Payroll computation

TimekeepOne-click, pulls from attendance automatically
Sprout HR

Yes, full payroll module

SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, BIR

TimekeepAutomatic with current tables
Sprout HR

Yes

Attendance tracking

TimekeepReal-time dashboard, kiosk, face verification
Sprout HR

Yes, with biometric hardware options

No biometric hardware needed

TimekeepAny tablet or phone as kiosk, face verify via camera
Sprout HR

Biometric device often required for kiosk

Employee portal

TimekeepMobile portal with PIN login (payslips, schedules, leaves)
Sprout HR

Employee self-service portal

Scheduling and shifts

TimekeepWeekly schedule builder with attendance integration
Sprout HR

Workforce scheduling module

Leave management

TimekeepLeave requests, approvals, and balance tracking
Sprout HR

Full HR leave management

Recruitment / ATS

TimekeepNot included
Sprout HR

Yes, enterprise HR suite

Performance management

TimekeepNot included
Sprout HR

Yes

Built for Philippine SMBs

TimekeepDesigned for Philippine small businesses
Sprout HR

Designed for larger enterprises

Sprout HR does not publish public pricing; figures here reflect its quote-based model. For exact pricing, contact Sprout HR directly. Timekeep pricing is current as of 2026.

Sprout HR vs Timekeep: which should you choose?

Both are capable. The right choice comes down to your size and what you actually do week to week.

Choose Timekeep if

  • Your main job is paying people correctly and on time
  • You run a small business, whatever your headcount
  • You want payroll, attendance, scheduling, leave, and compliance in one place
  • You would rather skip sales calls and implementation projects

Choose Sprout HR if

  • You run a dedicated HR function with its own staff
  • You need recruitment and applicant tracking
  • You need formal performance reviews in the same system
  • You manage hundreds of staff across departments

A flat price you can see vs a quote you cannot

Timekeep publishes one flat rate. Sprout does not list pricing publicly. Here is a 15-person business side by side.

Timekeep

PHP 1,244/mo

About PHP 14,928/year. PHP 999 covers 10 employees, then PHP 49 each for the next 5.

Sprout HR

Quote only

No public pricing. Billed per employee after a sales consultation, so the real figure depends on your headcount and modules.

The honest trade-off is scope. Sprout HR is a broader enterprise HR suite, and that breadth earns its price if you have recruiters and formal performance cycles. Timekeep does not try to be that. It is built so the owner can run an accurate Philippine payroll in minutes and stay compliant with SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and BIR without manual table lookups. Most small businesses need exactly that and nothing heavier.

How to switch from Sprout HR to Timekeep

Switching does not mean a risky cutover. The 30-day free trial is long enough to set up your team and run a full payroll cycle in parallel before you move off Sprout, so you can confirm the numbers match first.

  1. 1

    Start a free trial

    Sign up with no credit card. You get 30 days of full access, which is enough time to cover at least one complete pay period.

  2. 2

    Import your employee list

    Export your staff from Sprout HR (or your current spreadsheet) and import them into Timekeep. Set pay rates, schedules, and each employee's government contribution details.

  3. 3

    Set up attendance

    Turn any spare tablet or phone into a kiosk for clock-ins with face verification, or have staff clock in from the mobile portal. No biometric hardware to buy or install.

  4. 4

    Run a parallel test payroll

    Process one pay period in Timekeep alongside your usual Sprout run and compare the results line by line, including SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and BIR deductions.

  5. 5

    Switch over

    Once the numbers match, make Timekeep your system of record and cancel Sprout. Your trial only converts to a paid plan when you are ready.

Who Timekeep is built for

Timekeep is the right payroll system if you are a Philippine small business owner who handles HR, payroll, and scheduling yourself.

  • Cafes, restaurants, and food and beverage businesses with multiple shifts
  • Salons, spas, and personal service businesses
  • Retail shops with rotating staff schedules
  • Local service businesses where the owner runs payroll manually today
  • Any Philippine SMB that needs SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and BIR compliance without an HR team

If you have a dedicated HR team and need applicant tracking and formal performance reviews, Sprout HR may be a better fit.

Common questions about switching

Is Timekeep a good alternative to Sprout HR for small businesses?
Yes. Timekeep is designed for small Philippine businesses. It handles payroll, attendance, scheduling, leave management, and government deductions at PHP 999/month flat. Sprout HR targets larger enterprises and does not publish public pricing, so you request a custom quote. If you just need payroll plus attendance and do not need an enterprise HR suite with recruitment and performance management, Timekeep is simpler and has a clear, flat price.
How much does Timekeep cost compared to Sprout HR?
Timekeep starts at PHP 999/month for up to 10 employees, with additional employees at PHP 49/month each. There is a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Sprout HR does not list public pricing. Cost depends on your employee count and the modules you choose, and you need a sales consultation to get a quote.
Does Timekeep handle SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and BIR like Sprout does?
Yes. Timekeep automatically computes SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and BIR withholding tax using current Philippine contribution and tax tables. Government deductions are applied on every payroll run without manual lookups.
Does Timekeep need biometric hardware like Sprout?
No. Timekeep's kiosk mode turns any tablet or phone into a shared clock-in station. Employees tap their name and verify with a photo using the device camera. No fingerprint scanner or biometric hardware required.
What does Timekeep not have that Sprout HR has?
Sprout HR is a full enterprise HR suite that includes recruitment (applicant tracking), performance management, and advanced HR analytics. Timekeep focuses on payroll, attendance, scheduling, leave, and compliance. If you have an HR department managing hiring and reviews, Sprout may be a better fit. If you are the owner doing payroll yourself, Timekeep is built for you.
Can I switch from Sprout HR to Timekeep?
Yes. You can import your employee list into Timekeep from a spreadsheet. The 30-day free trial gives you enough time to set up your team, run a test payroll, and confirm everything works before committing.

Try Timekeep free for 30 days.

Set up your team, run payroll, and see if it fits before you pay anything. No credit card required.

PHP 999/month. No setup fees. Cancel anytime.